


All Roads Lead Back to You

by sunshineflying



Category: BBC Radio 1 RPF, One Direction (Band)
Genre: Camping, Fluff, Gift Fic, Minor Injuries, Multi, Polyamory
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-29
Updated: 2015-10-29
Packaged: 2018-04-28 19:40:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5103293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunshineflying/pseuds/sunshineflying
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's One Direction's break, and Liam's itching to do something. He's got his boyfriends, Nick and Louis, but they're keeping things quiet for now. Which means no date nights. No films, no going to clubs, nothing. Because they can't risk being found out. So Liam turns to nature for respite and brings his boys (and their dogs) along for the ride - whether Nick and Louis want to admit they can be outdoorsy or not. They take a weekend holiday up to the woods, and it's one of the most eventful weekends they ever have.</p>
            </blockquote>





	All Roads Lead Back to You

**Author's Note:**

> For Laura -
> 
> You have such a generous heart, and I hope that this thanks you for that and shows you how appreciated you are. Not only that, but it's almost your birthday, so yay, bonus birthday gift (though the rest is in the mail)! Thank you for your support, encouragement, and friendship. It means so much to me.
> 
> xx
> 
> Thanks to Jen and Kara for beta-ing and Brit-picking. This piece would be rubbish without you two.

Liam’s standing in the drive, peeking into the back of his Range Rover, checking once, twice, three times that he’s packed everything they need. As much as he loves Louis and Nick, he knows that if they’re going to have what they need for this trip, he’s going to have to be the one who takes care of it. Louis has his bag haphazardly perched atop the tent and folding chairs, and Nick’s is neatly stuffed in the corner behind the cooler full of food. 

Louis walks out, loudly announcing that he’s ready to go, right when Liam realizes that the only thing still left inside the house is _his_ bag.

“I’ve got to go get my --,”

Nick walks out the door, grinning, and holds up Liam’s duffel bag. “Missing something?” he asks.

“ _Yes_ ,” Liam breathes. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” Nick smiles.

Louis is out in the yard with Loki and Pig, who are letting off some energy before they take off on their journey, and Nick takes that opportunity to steal the front seat in the car. Liam’s driving, because he’s got directions and the address programmed into the sat nav just in case, and it’s his car anyhow. He’s got the bikes strapped securely onto the rack he’s attached to the back hatch, and everything is put together and ready to go.

He’s just about to climb in when Louis rushes up to the car with the dogs. “Nicholas, you arse!” he protests. “I wanted to sit in the front!”

“I’ve got long legs so I get to sit up front. Besides, the dogs like you better,” he teases.

Louis climbs in back anyway, and Loki and Pig curl up on the back seat next to him. They’re asleep as soon as Liam’s pulling out of the drive.

He’s surprised he managed to talk the two of them into this trip, considering how Nick seems too posh for camping and Louis’s attention span is so short. Camping with Louis in the past has been disastrous, because he likes the concept of it but doesn’t like all the work that goes into it. But Liam knows that once camp is set up it’ll be fun, that they can go for bike rides and go swimming in the lake and have a good time. 

He also knows that they’ve bought the most comfortable, luxurious air mattress they could find, so their nights in the tent will be fun, too. And if Liam’s being honest, he’s looking forward to cuddling up in his boyfriends’ clothes, snuggled up warmly next to the fire.

Louis falls asleep rather quickly during the drive too, which Liam’s thankful for. He knows how bored Louis can get, and he’s not particularly in the mood for occupying him whilst driving to the backwoods. Nick’s in control of the radio and changing the stations until radio broadcast cuts out completely and he’s got to switch to the AUX cord, pumping out music from his iPhone instead.

It’s relaxing, taking a drive and going out on an off-the-grid holiday. Liam’s been looking forward to it for ages, glad for the respite from the crazy life of being a celebrity, especially now that the band’s on hiatus and all anyone wants to ask him is what he’s doing now. He’s enjoying time with his boyfriends, and that’s really all he’s got on the agenda.

It’s just that they’re not telling anyone, yet.

Nick dozes off in the end, too, but Liam doesn’t mind. He’s already so relaxed and content, being out with his boyfriends on a holiday where nobody can bother him. Louis, Nick, and the dogs all start to stir when Liam turns offroad, now driving down a bumpy dirt path rather than a smooth, paved road. They’re getting closer to their campsite, a place that Liam ensured was off-the-grid and totally private.

By the time he rolls to a stop at the edge of a clearing, everyone’s awake. The dogs are standing up, climbing over Louis in desperation to see outside, tails wagging eagerly. Louis’s eyes are still puffy from napping but he looks happier, more relaxed. Nick does, too. Liam smiles and climbs out, and everyone else follows.

He’s glad their dogs are trained so well, able to run around the clearing without a lead, the security that they won’t run off and get lost in the woods. It’s nice, not having to tether them up or keep a hand on their lead the whole time.

“Shall we unpack?” Liam asks.

Louis scoffs and says, “That’s _boring_ , Leeyum.”

Nick walks over and gives Louis a soft kiss. “Just help get stuff out of the car, please.”

“Alright,” Louis laughs. “Someone else has got to pick up the dog poo, then.”

Liam’s already taking their bikes off the rack, propping them up next to a nearby tree instead. Then he’s opening the hatch where Louis’s bag promptly falls out with a heavy _thud_. Louis laughs and picks it up. “Alright. I’ve unloaded my stuff,” he teases.

Liam chuckles, his eyes crinkly at the corners, and he starts to pull out random things, whatever’s there first. They’ve got their fire pit, their collapsible grill, the massive tent, the lawn chairs, their bags… anything they could possibly need for a camping trip.

Once it’s all out, it takes up most of the centre of the clearing, and they’re all exhausted. “Alright, let’s get these chairs out and have a drink before we bother doing anything else,” Louis says.

Liam’s perfectly happy with that, and once they’re all sitting around in their chairs with beers in hand, they can relax. “It’s really quiet out here,” Louis observes after a moment.

At that, Liam nods. He’s not used to silence; it’s been absent for most of his life since One Direction took off. He almost doesn’t remember what it’s like. Usually, there’s at least faint screaming in the background or something, but here? In the clearing, it’s just the rustling of the leaves in the trees, birds calling overhead, and the sound of a stream nearby.

“It’s nice,” Liam agrees.

Nick looks between the two and feels a bit sorry for them, that they’ve got to go to such great lengths for some privacy. He’s never been _that_ famous, and while he used to wish he was, now he’s glad he’s not. By association, he’ll probably get close once they come out, but these moments are better, the ones where they can be themselves away from prying eyes.

Liam feels like he’s idling, like he should be doing something so they can settle in for a full weekend in the woods, but his boys and their laziness make him feel like he shouldn’t move. His leg bounces as he drinks his beer, until finally Nick laughs and says, “If you want to do something that bad, Liam, just go for it.”

Louis smiles when he realizes that Liam really has gotten antsy in his chair, and nods to him.

“I’ll even help,” Nick offers, standing up.

Louis slouches even further in his chair and smiles as he says, “The dogs and I will keep watch.” He whistles, and Loki and Pig both come running. They sit down in the brush next to him and curl up in one big pile of fur and paws, like they tend to do.

Nick’s a surprising amount of help in setting up the tent, which Liam’s grateful for because he’s starting to feel the laziness settling into his bones. They’d put off packing until the very last minute, so they’d spent all morning preparing for the trip. The drive wasn’t that long, but it made Liam start to feel lazy, it’s just that he knows once he really stops, that’s it for the night.

So he makes sure the tent is secure and then starts inflating the giant mattress in the main area of the tent. He shoves their duffel bags off into one of the side rooms, and uses the other for the blankets, for now. The dog beds are in there too, and it’s a cozy little space for them to live in for a weekend.

When Nick and Liam emerge from the tent, they see that Louis has actually done a bit of work, circling the chairs around the fire pit and the food and grill all in one place. “See? I’m not totally worthless,” Louis teases.

Nick and Liam both walk over to reward him with a kiss. “Now. I’m hungry. Let’s eat,” Louis laughs.

Liam plops himself in his chair and lets Nick take over, as he’d promised to do. Liam’s not totally sure what Nick thinks camping food is, or if he can prepare it, but their cooler is packed to the brim and so are the numerous reusable bags they’ve brought, so he thinks they’re set. Louis retrieves more beers and a bag of crisps, and Liam reclines back.

“This really was a great idea,” Louis tells Liam, reaching over to hold his hand.

Nick nods as he steals a bite of cheese where he’s making cheese toasties on a metal pan over the grating of the grill. It’s makeshift, but it works. “It’s the perfect weather,” he says.

“Knock on wood after saying that!” Liam laughs.

But really, Liam thinks, they’re right. It feels so nice, being away, on their own, in the serenity of the woods. It’s perfect, he thinks, watching Louis and Nick move around the campsite, kissing each other and kissing him, stealing food and petting the dogs. It’s the closest they’ve gotten to PDA, and it’s really the only time they can act this way outside the safe walls of one of their homes.

The sun is setting and it’s getting cold outside, but Liam doesn’t mind. He’s got on Nick’s jumper, because he tossed it aside whilst making dinner, and he feels cozy and warm.

Louis starts the fire, because of course he wants to be the one to do the most dangerous task, and it warms them up in a way the sun no longer can, hidden behind the horizon. The trees and leaves rustle around them and it’s so relaxing Liam thinks he’s in heaven.

They don’t do much the rest of their first night, too ready to relax and get a good night’s rest to bother doing anything active. So instead of exploring or even sitting up to watch the stars overhead, they climb into the tent. Pig and Loki are asleep almost right away, and Liam takes the center of the bed that night. Nick has an arm around Liam’s shoulders and Louis is draped over both of them, one leg splayed over Liam’s and brushing Nick’s where he’s done the same thing, and they fall asleep just like that, curled up under the blankets in a knot of bodies.

Louis would be lying if he said his favourite part of their holiday was anything other than getting to have a nice, long lie-in. 

He’s the last to wake and he knows it, because he wakes to fidgeting boyfriends on the bed next to him. Liam probably woke up first but, trying to be noble, didn’t wake them. Nick’s on a morning schedule so he’s probably been awake for a while too -- Louis knows he’s the late sleeper and he grumbles as he rolls onto his back, hoping it’s not the ass-crack of dawn or something, because he’s still feeling exhausted and he doesn’t want their shitty sleep schedules to ruin his lie-in.

Except the sun feels high overhead, he can see it through the top of the tent, and his boys look incredibly relieved. “Morning, love,” Nick says through a yawn.

“Have a good lie-in?” Liam asks, humour in his voice.

Louis rubs his eyes and then stretches, all his limbs pushed out as far as they can go, his little tummy peeking out from under his shirt. When he relaxes, he replies, “Depends. How much of a lie-in was it, really?”

“It’s half ten,” Nick says, reaching over to tickle the bare spot of Louis’s tummy still exposed between his shirt and trackies.

Louis playfully smacks him away, laughing from the tickles. “Then it was good,” Louis replies with a smart-ass grin on his face.

Liam chuckles and leans over to give Louis a kiss. Louis makes a face as Liam pulls away, and he puts his hand up to stop Nick, effectively earning himself a kiss on the palm. “We forgot the whole _running water_ thing. We’ve got to brush our teeth, because _yuck_ ,” he says.

“Easy,” Liam replies, like he’s had this whole camping thing figured out from the start. “We brought plenty of water.”

Reluctantly, Louis stumbles off the giant air mattress and digs through their bags over to the side. He tosses toothbrushes at everyone and only grabs his tube of paste. “C’mon then, Leemo, let’s go rough it, or whatever,” Louis says.

Liam leads them out of the tent and it’s easy enough, using a bottle of water to rinse their brushes and their mouths, and after that Liam puts a kettle on over the fire. “So what are we going to do today?” Nick asks, reclining in a chair with some yoghurt and granola.

“Today’s supposed to be the warmest of the whole weekend,” Liam says. “We should bike down to the lake, maybe. Go for a swim? Pack a lunch and just relax down there? I found a good bike trail that leads from near here to down by the lake.”

He pours out food for Loki and Pig, and then makes tea for each of them. Once Louis has his cup in hand he says, “That sounds nice. Though we’ll leave darling Nick in the dust, biking all the way out to the lake.” Louis laughs playfully. Nick sticks out his tongue.

“Alright, so it’s settled then,” Liam grins. He’s been looking forward to this trip for so long and Nick and Louis can see it clear on his face. He hands off some cereal to Louis and takes a bowl for himself, and they sit there calmly around the fire, all five of them eating.

They love the lack of schedule, the ease with which they can go about things, not worrying about where they have to be or what’s on the agenda. It’s freeing, and each of them in their own time find themselves wishing it could be like this forever, just the three of them with no commitments, no demands, and nowhere to be. No fans to get in the way.

Once they’ve finished eating, Nick offers to clean up the few dishes they’ve used whilst Louis and Liam start to get changed. They put on swim shorts and tee shirts. As Nick’s changing, Liam packs lunch and Louis makes sure they’ve got some toys for the dogs, and once they’ve each got a pack of some sort attached to their bike, they’re ready to go.

Louis’s bike is the smallest of the three, one of those little BMX ones that he swears is more badass than the other two’s bikes combined. Nick just finds it adorable, seeing Louis on such a little bike. He and Liam have got big mountain bikes to get themselves through the trail, and the dogs are following close by as they take off.

It’s a tough trail, full of hills and bumps, but Louis handles it well, even with a few skids around the corners. Nick struggles, but nobody laughs. Well -- except when he sort of tips over because of a bump, and his head hits a tree. 

\-- “I _told you_ we needed helmets!” Liam exclaims.

\-- “You’re not supposed to _die_ on our holiday!” Louis admonishes.

Nick just looks sheepish and takes the rest of the turns a little more cautiously than he had been before. Aside from a little scrape on his forehead, they make it to the lake safely, and the dogs are lazy again. Such a long run has worn them out, and it’s adorable, the way they find a clearing by the lake and curl up with each other to watch as Louis, Nick, and Liam abandon their bikes in favor of a nice cool dip in the lake.

“Shouldn’t we wait? Look around, have a snack?” Liam asks.

Louis wipes the sweat from his brow and says, “It’ll cool us down. I’m jumping in. You don’t have to!”

Nick looks between them, allows himself to stare as Louis kicks off his Vans and tugs his shirt haphazardly up over his head and onto the ground next to him, and then smiles. Louis, looking ever so much like a carefree child, runs to the end of the dock and leaps into the lake with a loud “Oi oi!”

Liam smiles as he watches, and Nick reaches out. “C’mon, love, let us see those abs,” Nick says with a playful pout on his face. He’s pulling at the hem of Liam’s shirt, and when Liam doesn’t fight it, Nick pulls at his shirt and brings it up over his head and off of him completely. He leans in to kiss Liam as they hear Louis shouting from where he’s surfaced in the lake.

“It feels so good!” Louis shouts. “C’mon, you bloody lovebirds! I feel left out!”

Liam looks up at Nick with a coy smile, and he reaches up to pull off Nick’s shirt. “You two are so unpredictable,” Liam laughs. Nick hears what he means by it, hears that it’s frustrating sometimes because Liam’s so different, so methodical, but he’s learning to adapt, to get used to the spontaneity.

“And you’re awfully flexible,” Nick smiles, praising him softly before stealing another kiss.

They kick off their shoes and Nick nods, urging Liam to jump first. “Go on. You know you want to,” he smiles.

So, in an attempt to please Louis, Liam runs to the end of the dock just as Louis had, and lets out a whoop before he jumps and cannonballs into the water. Nick’s laughing and Louis cheers loudly when Liam surfaces, swimming towards him looking massively pleased, with that big smile that crinkles his eyes almost closed completely.

“Your turn, Nick!” Louis calls.

Nick shakes his head, but laughs and obliges, running to the end of the dock and flailing his limbs ridiculously until he hits the water. He squeezes his eyes shut and holds his breath and lets the water wash over him, cooling him off completely. 

Yeah, he thinks. It really does feel good. Nice and refreshing after a long bike ride in the bright, warm sunlight.

Louis splashes at them and they swim around doing nothing in particular until Louis whines that he’s hungry. Nick realizes then what their relationship consists of. Most of the time, it’s Louis making the rules and he and Liam trying to keep up. He finds that he rather likes it, knowing someone else will be there to make the decisions when Nick doesn’t feel like it.

They walk out of the lake and dry off with the towels Liam packed, and then dig out the small cooler of food they’ve brought along. It’s quiet as they eat their sandwiches, the only sounds they can hear the ones of rustling leaves in the trees and the birds calling out to each other in sweet melodies. Liam can’t remember ever feeling so relaxed in his life.

Louis lays back once he’s finished eating, smiling brightly at nothing in particular with his arms up, his hands behind his head. “How long d’you think it’ll be before someone realizes we’re out here?” he asks pensively.

Liam frowns. He hopes they’re not found out, that they’re going to be able to keep privacy for the entire length of the trip. Nobody answers Louis, and he closes his eyes as he soaks in the sunlight. “Me too,” he says softly, like he agrees with the words they didn’t even have to say out loud. He doesn’t want them to be found, either.

They rest lazily on the beach, digesting their lunch, until finally Liam suggests, “We should get back. It’ll take us awhile, having to go uphill and all that.”

Nick groans because he’s starting to get a headache and he doesn’t want to move, so he just rolls to the side, putting his head on Liam’s shoulder so he won’t get up. When he does, he hisses, because he’d forgotten about the little scrape on his forehead until it brushed up against Liam and started to sting. “Y’alright?” Liam asks, looking down. 

Louis pokes his head up from where he’s laying on the other side of Liam, and he looks at Nick where he’s gently patting his forehead. “You need a bit more time?” Louis asks, looking concerned.

“Nah, I’m good. Just stings,” he says.

“I’ll wash it up once we get back to camp,” Liam says, and Nick wants to argue but Liam looks determined. He knows there’s no getting out of this now.

The bike ride back does take a bit longer, or at least it feels like it because they’re exhausted and would rather just be lying around the fire without having to do the work to get back. Nick’s head is throbbing by the time they’re there, but Liam says it’s probably more dehydration and less the scrape and bump on his head. Either way, he’s told to sit down in a chair by the fire and not do any work.

As the sun sets, Louis busies himself with dinner, putting some burgers on the grill and some slices of potatoes with seasoning in a foil packet next to them. Liam’s wiping off Nick’s forehead and giving him some medicine for his headache, and he’s made him drink a whole bottle of water already. It’s cute, Nick thinks, how protective Liam can be, even though Nick’s the oldest and feels like he should be the one protecting everyone else.

Pig curls up on Nick’s lap once Liam’s done, a bandage on Nick’s forehead (and he feels like an idiot with it), but he’s warm in his striped jumper from his old Topman collection and Liam and Louis aren’t looking so worried.

“I’m fine!” he insists as Louis looks up at him for the tenth time whilst he’s finishing their meal, and this time it looks like he believes him.

They pour out food for the dogs so they’ll leave them alone whilst they’re eating dinner, and Nick smiles as he finishes his first bite of food. “Who knew we just had to get you _out_ of the kitchen so you could cook?” he teases.

Louis sticks out his tongue, but looks proud of himself as he continues eating.

Just as they did the night before, they lounge lazily around the fire as the sun sets and plunges them into the deep darkness of the woods. “We didn’t even do anything today and yet I’m still _exhausted_ ,” Liam whines.

“Only you would complain about not being busy enough, Leemo,” Louis laughs.

Nick looks between them and says, “We should go to bed.”

Liam checks his watch. “It’s only half nine, Nick. Why would we do that?”

Nick just grins.

“You’ve bumped your head today, you should rest,” Liam says seriously.

“Oh come on, we can do _something_ ,” Louis smirks. He’s looking across at Liam like he’s trying to communicate something to him. Liam looks lost. 

Nick’s endlessly amused.

“I’m going to go climb into bed, you two can join me whenever you’re done secret messaging, if you’d like,” he says with good-natured humor.

Slowly, he climbs out of his chair and trudges to the tent.

“Louis!” Liam hisses once Nick’s climbed into bed. They can see his silhouette through the thin walls of the tent and Louis is watching with a smile. “We can’t do that tonight!” he whispers harshly, trying to keep quiet whilst still admonishing Louis. “What if we give him an aneurysm or something!”

“It’s just a bump on the head,” Louis replies, looking around for the bucket of water. “It’s not like he’s had a concussion or a major brain injury or summat.” He douses the fire and looks up at Liam with a big grin on his face as the smoke weaves its way up into the starry night sky. “Besides, it’ll be fun. We haven’t sucked him off together in a long time. I kinda miss it, truth be told.”

Liam’s cheeks are flushed bright pink at the memory of last time, at the thought of doing it again out here in nature where anyone can hear, and doesn’t fight it when Louis takes his hand and leads him to the tent.

It’s a new line that they’ve crossed, touching and moaning and getting off out in nature where it feels like the whole world knows what they’re doing, out where anyone could find them. Liam finds he likes the thrill. Even though it’s unlikely that anyone would ever actually find them, the thought is still nagging in the back of his mind -- and he won’t tell Nick and Louis, not yet anyway, but it was one of the best things they’ve ever done. And they’ve done a lot.

They wake lazy-limbed and drowsy, and it’s their last full day in the woods before they pack up tomorrow and go back into town -- back to reality, to obligations, to crazy schedules that keep them from having this sort of connectedness. Liam’s not sure he ever wants to turn to reality, given how close they are now, how happy they all seem to be. 

He’d feared that being around each other nonstop for so many days in a row would wear them down and strain their relationship, because they’ve never done it before, but it just makes them stronger. Liam’s so relieved he can’t even put it to words.

These men have very quickly become his entire life.

Loki and Pig are the ones who wake them that morning, and Liam is the most dressed so he lets the dogs out and then returns carrying yoghurt and fruit for his boys. “Leeyum,” Louis whines, his voice hoarse and his eyes still closed. “This is too healthy.”

Liam tosses a granola bar at Louis, something packed with chocolate, and says, “Have this, then.”

Louis looks at it grumpily and tosses it back at Liam, “Nick,” he whines, curling into Nick’s side, hooking a leg over one of Nick’s. “Our boyfriend is trying to make us healthy.”

“Not my fault I want to keep you guys around. You’ve managed to charm me, though only God knows how,” Liam chuckles. He sits down on the other side of Louis and rubs a hand up and down his side, Nick’s fingers brushing his as he wraps himself toward them both. They’re a tangle of limbs, and Liam kisses Louis’s shoulder gently as he says, “I love you. Both of you.”

“Love you too,” Nick replies sweetly, looking Liam in the eyes as he says it.

“Me too,” Louis says, followed immediately by a yawn.

They have a lie-in, choosing to curl up with each other and touch gently, get each other off slowly, nothing but hands and mouths and lots of whispers of love and adoration, breakfast long forgotten. It’s a lazy morning, and they don’t roll out of the tent until midday when the sun’s too hot and the dogs are impatient.

They all look an absolute mess, but they’re content to be with each other, to have each others’ company and care.

It got damp overnight so building a fire takes longer than it did the day before, and even though Liam had a whole list of things they could do, they end up sitting around the fire anyway, roasting hot dogs and talking about the future.

Louis wants to get a dog to add to the mix, a third one, one for Loki and Pig to run around with and love, the way Louis folded himself into the mix of Nick and Liam so well.

Liam really wants to settle down, to get into songwriting and out of this routine he’s been conditioned into of singing and writing and performing nonstop. He wants to be able to relax and put real effort into his music, and he wants a family… he wants to have something tangible, something lifelong to hold onto. That’s what real success is, to Liam.

And Nick -- well, Nick just wants his boys. He tells them so, too.

“But you’ve already got us,” Louis says softly.

It’s mid-afternoon and Louis’s hair is rumpled and messy and he’s shirtless, wearing nothing but skinny jeans and some Vans, and he’s watching Nick curiously. Nick detects a hint of fear in Louis’s eyes as well. Liam looks totally befuddled.

Liam shucks his plaid shirt, opting to sit around in his jeans and white vest instead, watching Nick curiously.

“No -- I mean like --,” Nick begins. He sighs. “It’s just that… when I look into the future, y’know, like you guys? I don’t see stuff like that. I don’t see a dog and kids running around. That’s not to say I don’t _want_ them, because I _do_ ,” he adds quickly, “it’s just that I only see you two.”

“You don’t dream of anything else?” Liam asks softly.

Nick shakes his head. “It’s totally abstract and I get that, but like… that’s what it comes down to, yeah? I don’t really need anything as long as I’ve got you two,” he says. “Louis, love,” he adds, holding up a finger to silence Louis, who’s already got his mouth open to say something, “don’t you dare call that cliche. I mean every word of it.”

Louis slaps his jaw shut and watches Nick curiously, like he’s surprised such a simple answer came out of Nick’s mouth.

“What I’m trying to say, I guess,” Nick begins, a little awkwardly this time, “Is that I’m good, with you two. Everything else doesn’t matter nearly as much.” He stands up, leaving Louis and Liam watching him, feeling loved but also a bit confused, still. Not that they think he’s materialistic or anything, but there’s something in his tone that he’s not telling them. They can sense that a part of the picture is missing.

Nick crawls into their tent and rifles around for something, and after a few minutes, he returns, his hands in the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie. A little wobbly, he kneels down facing Louis and Liam’s chairs and holds up his hands. He’s holding a ring in each one, simple silver bands with three lines etched into them -- one line for each of them, connected forever in a loop. “I guess what I’m trying to say is that I’d quite like to marry you two,” Nick says at last, looking up to gauge their reactions.

Louis’s eyes are wide and he’s dropped his jaw, staring at the ring in surprise. Liam’s grinning widely, so excited about the question, so happy that Nick’s asked because this -- this, too, is something he’s wanted so badly. Liam’s the first to reply, and he nods and slips the ring on his finger, nearly dropping it on the ground in excitement. He leans in to kiss Nick, and then kneels down next to him to face Louis.

Nick’s not sure why Louis is being so silent, because he’s pretty sure this is what Louis wanted, too. At least, that’s the vibe he’s gotten throughout all the time they’ve been together. “Nick,” Louis says softly, his voice coming out as a slight squeak. “I’m half-naked and I haven’t had a proper shower in _days_ ,” he protests. “And _this_ is how you want me to look when you propose?”

“Well,” Nick says, his voice shaking a bit with nerves. “To be fair, things aren’t all that different when we’re _home_ ,” Liam laughs with Nick at that, “but I didn’t think it mattered that much to you, how you looked when it happened.”

“It doesn’t,” Louis supplies quickly. “ _God_ , it doesn’t, I just thought -- I mean, you get so bloody romantic sometimes, I just -- “

“You thought I’d want some big flashy, fancy to-do?” Nick asks, a grin forming on his face. Louis nods. Nick just shakes his head.

“It’s not often I can surprise _you_ , darling,” Nick grins. “I like it.”

Liam’s impatient at Nick’s side, waiting to hear what Louis says, to see if they’re going to have this happily ever after that they were talking about. “So?” he presses. “What do you say?”

“Like you even have to ask, Payno,” Louis says as he rolls his eyes. He grins and without speaking, reaches out to put his finger through the ring, letting Nick slide it on the rest of the way. “Well boys, looks like we’ve got a wedding to plan.”

He holds up his hand to study the ring more closely, and then he reaches out for Liam and Nick, pulling them into a kiss. It’s awkward, their noses all bumping and their lips barely touching, but sometimes he’s in the mood to try to kiss them both at once and for whatever reason, they oblige.

It’s Liam’s evening to prepare dinner, and all he does is pull out three big foil things that he made at home. “I was wondering what those were,” Nick comments as Liam puts them on the grill. He’s got another pan simmering over the campfire, a pile of ground beef and cheese and all kinds of nacho toppings, and Nick wants to reach out and eat right away.

“Payno’s trying to show off,” Louis teases as he sits in his chair, knees bunched to his chest, sipping at a beer.

Liam’s cheeks flush but he smiles and says, “Not really. I made them at home because I wanted to be lazy on the trip.”

He reaches over for a bag of crisps and hands them around as he takes the pan off the campfire and puts it on the stump they’ve been using for a table. He dips a crisp into the mix in the pan and says, “Just dip in and get some nacho mix. It’s really good.” He takes a bite but doubles over, wincing. “It’s hot,” he says through a mouthful of nachos.

Nick and Louis both laugh, though Nick at least has the mind to offer him a bottle of water to soothe Liam’s burnt tongue. They eat the nachos whilst the burritos heat up on the grill, and the burritos are ready just in time, once they’ve finished picking at the nachos. “God, this is delicious,” Nick moans around a mouthful of burrito.

“I knew I loved you for a reason,” Louis teases.

Nick fumbles as he tries to catch some bits of food falling out of his burrito, and a glint of silver catches Louis’s eye. “You’ve got one, too,” Louis says blankly, pointing to Nick’s hand.

Liam looks up, and Nick glances at his hand before he smiles and says, “Oh, yeah… I got us a set of matching ones. I just… wanted to show off that I’m engaged now as much as you guys can.”

Louis and Liam both beam, though Louis adds to his reaction a laugh and remarks, “So vain, Grimmy. _So_ vain.”

But Nick will accept being called vain if it means he gets to tell everyone they’re engaged.

Which -- that’s something they should talk about, he realizes suddenly. A lot can happen if they wear these rings in public. A lot that maybe they’re not ready for -- Nick is, but Louis and Liam are different. They’re not out. They’re not telling the public about their sexuality, never mind their relationship status.

Nick swears to put it off until later, until they’re no longer in the blissful throes of just-engaged. They’ve been so happy all day, smiling brightly ever since those rings ended up on their fingers, and Nick’s just proud he could make them so happy. Louis can be awfully particular sometimes, so any day that Nick does right by him is a wonderful day in his book.

Liam -- well, Liam’s more like a puppy: happy about everything.

But still. Nick’s happy, and he’s glad he’s made his boys happy, too, and he likes getting to sit around and just be normal with them for once, away from prying eyes but still out in the open, getting fresh air.

He won’t ask them about it until they get home, maybe on the drive back, because he’s far more enamoured with the two of them curled up in jumpers from his old Topman collection -- Liam in the stripes and Louis in the Pig jumper. They look so cozy by the fire, the sun setting behind the trees surrounding them giving the most beautiful backdrop for one of the greatest days Nick’s ever had in his life.

After they’re stuffed full of dinner, Liam lays a blanket down on the ground and the three of them curl up together with the dogs at their feet. They watch the stars overhead, listen as Liam points out the few things he can remember -- the little dipper (or maybe it’s the big dipper?), Orion’s belt -- that’s about all he’s got, but Louis and Nick smile and listen anyway.

There are a few clouds rolling in, but there’s no bad weather on the forecast for that weekend, according to Liam.

Once the moon is high overhead and it’s proper nighttime, they trudge into the tent, Nick in the middle this time, Louis and Liam smaller and curled up at his sides. They’re asleep before Nick; he’s not sure why he’s so wide awake, because usually he’s the most tired, but he’ll take it. They look so peaceful. He likes private moments where he can just admire his fiancés and what they’re like.

Just as Nick’s starting to doze off, he hears pattering on the roof of the tent. He groans; it’s raining, and he’s not so sure this tent is totally waterproof. Not with the way Louis flails around in it and tosses stuff around outside. There’s sure to be a hole in it _somewhere_.

Sure enough, Nick starts to feel cool drops of water on his forehead. He tries to scoot out of the way, but that just brings Louis into the line of fire. It serves him right, Nick thinks, but he also doesn’t like seeing Louis with his face scrunched up, disturbed from his sleep. He always looks so much more peaceful when he’s sleeping.

“Niiiick,” Louis groans, swatting at his face.

Reluctantly, Nick shifts them again so the water’s hitting him in the head, rather than Louis.

Except that’s not the only place water’s dripping from. There’s another hole just above Louis’s arm, apparently, because he gets tetchy and swats at his arm, wiping away the water beading up on the sleeve of his jumper.

His whining wakes Liam, who sits up and looks around, confused. He hears the rain before he realizes there’s a leak, but when he does, he looks so lost and bewildered. “Why’s the tent leaking? I thought it was brand new?” he asks, his voice thick and groggy with sleep.

“Someone was awfully rough with it,” Nick says, hugging Louis close to him and chuckling just a bit.

“I was playing fetch with the dogs,” Louis protests, not even bothering to open his eyes.

Liam starts to climb out from under the blankets and he looks determined as he says, “I can fix this. Be right back.”

He shuffles in his duffle bag first, but Nick stops him. “Love, it’s alright. I don’t want you to get wet and catch a cold,” he pleads.

That draws an amused chuckle out of Liam. “I’m English, Nick. I’ll be alright.”

Nick lets Liam climb out of the tent, and part of him feels the urge to go outside and help Liam try to patch it, but Louis is a dead weight on one half of his body, already having dozed off again. He’s better help inside, anyway, when Liam asks him to point to where the water’s dripping from.

Liam valiantly tries to patch the tent, but since it’s raining, the patches don’t stick. Instead, he ends up soaking wet and frowning when Louis tells him he’s not allowed to climb into bed.

“Come on, love, he tried to fix the leaks,” Nick says, offering Liam some dry clothes. Liam, hunched over in a small corner of the tent where he’s trying not to get anyone else wet, slowly changes.

Louis sits up on the air mattress and fumbles in his own bag for a new jumper, something not so wet on the sleeve. “I think we’re just going to have to get wet tonight,” Nick says as the rain drips faster, the storm growing worse outside.

They can see lightning now, and Liam’s frowning deeply. “I hope nothing blows away,” he says.

“I hope we don’t get struck by lightning,” Louis adds, because that honestly sounds far worse.

Nick reaches out for his boys and curls up on the bed backwards, with their heads where their feet used to be because the leaks seem to all be by their heads, and he says, “C’mon loves, let’s try to sleep, alright?”

The dogs are scared too, they can all hear them, and without thinking Louis summons them onto the air mattress, too.

He forgets that their fingernails can poke holes in the air mattress.

Two hours later they’re soaked through to the skin and their air mattress has totally deflated, leaving them to feel every rock, stick, and pebble of dirt beneath them. “I’m sorry, you guys,” Liam repeats over and over again.

“Liam, it’s alright,” Nick tries to soothe him.

Louis looks murderous, and he eventually grabs his bag and his pillow and they hear him rushing through the campsite. Then they hear a door slam. He’s in the car. “I’ve fucked it up, Nick. I’m sorry,” Liam says sadly, looking down at his lap as his hair droops sadly on his face, weighed down by water.

“Hey, no,” Nick insists, rubbing Liam’s back. “We’re _camping_ , babe. These things happen.”

“Louis is mad at me.”

Liam looks like a sad, kicked puppy, and it breaks Nick’s heart. “He’s not angry, he’s just very tired,” Nick insists. “That’s all.”

Gently, Liam reaches over to take Nick’s hand and thread their fingers together. Nick squeezes his hand gently and doesn’t know what to say. He doesn’t want Liam to be so down on himself but Louis _had_ stormed out rather dramatically. “Should we follow him?” Liam asks softly. “I don’t want him to have to sleep alone.”

“I don’t think we’d all fit in the car, love,” Nick says. But he gets it. He doesn’t want Louis to have to sleep alone, either.

“Let’s pack up,” Liam says determinedly. “Shuffle the dogs into the car with Lou and then we’ll pack up camp. Leave for home early.”

“But it’s the middle of the night,” Nick says blankly. He doesn’t understand why this is even an option, leaving the campsite, but it makes an awful lot of sense anyway.

Liam looks up at Nick with pleading eyes and Nick just nods. He’d do anything for them. So, he and Liam usher the dogs to the car, and whilst Louis isn’t thrilled with the idea, he doesn’t kick the dogs out. They end up falling asleep on the back seat anyway, so they don’t get in Louis’s way.

Then Nick and Liam get to it, packing up the wet chairs and the wet tent and they end up putting down tarp in the back of the Range Rover to make sure it’s not ruined too badly. Louis is stirred awake by now, watching curiously as they bring more and more stuff to the car until it clicks in his mind. “You guys -- we don’t have to --,” he begins to protest, but Nick and Liam have already cleaned up almost everything.

They shove their duffle bags in last, wherever they can manage to get them to fit, and then Liam shuts the boot. Nick wheels over their bikes so Liam can attach them to the bike rack, and then they’re done. There are marks in the ground where their stuff was, but now the campsite is cleared. 

The rain still _hasn’t_ cleared.

Nick offers to drive, seeing that Liam’s distressed and Louis is ready to sleep some more. Louis makes the dogs climb onto the floor and he lays down across the whole back seat to get some more rest. Liam directs Nick’s driving until they’re back on paved roads, and then they make their way back home.

The rain lets up with about an hour to go, and as the clouds clear out, they can see the beginnings of a sunrise on the horizon. “Nick,” Louis’s voice cuts through the dull hum of the radio and Liam’s snores. “Nick, love, pull over. Just there, by the lake.”

Not ready for a fight, not after he’s been up all night driving, Nick does as he’s told. Liam wakes when he feels the car come to an abrupt halt on the side of the road, and slowly they all clamber out.

“Louis, what are we doing?” Liam asks, tiredly rubbing at his eyes.

Louis stuffs his hands in the kangaroo pocket of his hoodie and says, “We came out here to see nature so let’s go see nature. Come on.”

He leads them out into the damp grass, over crunching leaves and sticks precariously attempting to trip them, but once they get to where Louis wants to be, he stops and smiles. The lake’s edge is all dark sand and tiny polished pebbles, but it’s the most nature-like feeling they’ve had in hours.

Louis reaches out, sliding one of his hands into Nick’s, the other into Liam’s, and he whispers, “I’m sorry I was so useless before. I love you both so, so much.”

It’s not often they get such a heartfelt apology from Louis -- usually he’s masking the kindness with a kick to the shin or a playful twist to the nipple but this -- this means a lot. More than Nick could ever describe, Liam too. They both turn to Look at Louis and smile.

The sky is painted in all different colours, the sun rising back up over the sky, drenching them in a new day. Louis releases their hands in favor of sliding his hands around their waists, and they nuzzle him close. They’re all silent, watching the sun slowly creep up over the horizon, and it very nearly takes Nick’s breath away, sharing it with his fiancés like this.

“Guys… how do we want to tell people about us?” he asks softly, hesitantly, like they’re on thin ice and his question might very well send them plummeting to the icy depths.

Louis and Liam both look to Nick with curious expressions, and he sheepishly shrugs as he explains, “I’d quite like to post a photo of us. Show everyone what they’re missing by not going outside.” He laughs and adds, “By not being me.”

Louis grins but Liam still looks nervous. “We might as well do it now, huh?” Louis says, nerves all in his voice, not his face. “Rip it off like a plaster. Do it whilst we haven’t got much reception, yeah?”

He’s got a point; they’ll be driving through a large patch of countryside with no phone reception, meaning they won’t have to worry about texts from friends -- family already know, of course -- or what’s more, they won’t have to worry about messages from the fans.

“You want a photo of like… the rings?” Liam asks nervously.

Nick eyes them both closely and says, “We don’t have to. We can do whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ll take a selfie if you’d rather not do it right now at all, I promise.”

Louis and Liam look to each other, and then up at Nick, and Louis’s eyes drop to his left hand where he’s still got the engagement ring. It’s a weight, a feeling he’s got to get used to, but he likes it. He’s proud of it.

“I’ll do it,” Louis says bravely, looking at his ring. “I’d really like to.” He smirks. “If anyone was going to manage to tame you, it’d be us, and I’d quite like to brag about that.” Louis turns to Liam and raises an eyebrow. “Leemo?”

Liam’s cheeks are flushed, but he’s been hanging off of their every word. His heart is beating faster than it’s ever beat before, and he’s feeling totally overwhelmed by it all.

But he knows deep down to his core that he loves Louis and Nick, and he’d go to the ends of the earth for them. He’d walk on hot coals for them. Hell, he’d walk on a sidewalk covered in _Lego pieces_ for them. 

So he smiles and nods, and he says, “Yeah, I’d like that, too.”

Excitedly, Nick pulls his phone out of his pocket. He holds it up to take a photo, but they still look nervous, whether they want to or not. So Nick leans over and kisses Liam gently, and then turns to Louis to do the same, and suddenly, just by a simple gesture, they’re more relaxed. Nick holds up his phone again, capturing the sunrise over the horizon over his shoulder (and Louis’s head), and then snaps the photo. He then holds up his hand, and so do the others, and they’ve got another photo -- this one showing off their engagement rings.

Nick uses an app to make the photos into one big one, the images side by side, and then posts it on Instagram with the words **uh oh, we’ve got to set a date!** followed by a nervous-face emoji.

It takes a while to upload, since they’re in the middle of nowhere, and afterwards Nick’s phone promptly dies. Louis laughs whilst Nick pouts, and Liam grumbles on about how he’s probably got a charger somewhere.

“It doesn’t matter,” Louis says casually. “He’s going to nap the rest of the drive home. I’ll take over behind the wheel.”

“Louis, you don’t have --,” Nick begins to protest, but Louis reaches up and slaps a hand over his mouth.

“Nick,” Louis says, rolling his eyes. “You’ve been driving for hours whilst I’ve been sleeping. I think it’s time to trade places.”

He makes a very good point, Nick realizes as he’s yawning, and he agrees, though he protests meekly, “Only two hours.” 

He tumbles into the back seat and curls up in a tiny little ball across it like it’s a bed, and everyone settles in as Louis completes their journey home without any help from Liam.

He’s actually quite good with directions, apparently.

When they get home, they’re all too exhausted to unpack the car, to eat, or even to shower. They just let the dogs in and then trudge upstairs to their bedroom. One after another they tumble atop the duvet, muddy shoes still on and their clothes a rumpled mess. Liam will nearly have a heart attack over the mess once they wake up, but for now, it’s fine. They’re all too worn out to care.

But as it turns out, when they wake up, Liam’s just smiling, his hand covering Nick’s, whose hand is covering Louis’s, all of their rings right there in a row. “Love you guys,” Liam whispers as he manages to thread his fingers through both of theirs, one big pile of hands resting on Louis’s hip.

“Me too,” Nick smiles.

“Yeah, me too,” Louis says as he yawns.

 _That’s_ about when Liam realizes their nice gray duvet is covered in mud, and they’re all exiled from the room until he can get the stains out.

After warm showers and Liam’s pre-soaking, they wander downstairs to feed the dogs and themselves, and prepare for the visitors they’re inevitably going to have once their families realize they’re back in town.

It’s going to be chaos, but they’re pretty sure it’s going to be totally worth it.

With the three of them, it usually is.


End file.
